Languages

Welcome

Welcome to the African Language Program of the African Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The main goal of the program is to provide courses in African languages and cultures to undergraduate and graduate students at Penn and the consortium colleges of Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore, as well as for other neighboring colleges and universities.

African language courses are offered from elementary through advanced levels, and they are taught by native speakers who are trained in communicative language teaching.

African languages can be used to fulfill a language requirement and to complete an undergraduate minor or major in African Studies. African language study can also prepare students for research in Africa, and for Study Abroad programs in Ghana, Senegal, and Kenya. Students of Yoruba, Swahili and Zulu can also participate in a federally-funded Group Project Abroad in Nigeria, Tanzania, or South Africa to further enhance their language competency in a country where that language is widely spoken.

ANNOUNCEMENT

2011 National African Languages Initiative Summer Institute

We are pleased to announce that the African Language Program will host the 2011 National African Languages Initiative Summer Institute (NALISI) to teach intensive Zulu language and culture. The program will run for 8 weeks, June 13 – August 05, 2011. The program is open to undergrad and graduate students from across institutions as well as professionals from various sectors. For more information visit the Zulu Summer Program section of the website.